IDM Student Competition 2013
2013 The Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing. All rights reserved
IDM is a registered trademark. Registered charity no. 1001865 Page 1 of 7
IDM Student Competition
Gap 360 Ltd 2013
Some of the data used in this assignment has been changed or excluded as
company-specific data cannot be provided due to confidentiality. If in your research you
identify conflicting figures please use those provided in the case. If data you require is not
available make realistic assumptions as necessary, but do not forget to specify your
assumptions in writing.
Gap 360 is a UK private limited company based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent whose aim is to
make affordable “gap year” travel available to a wide range of younger travellers. It is
100% independent, not part of any larger business organisation. The three directors who
founded the company have more than 60 years travel industry experience which includes a
wealth of experience in this market having previously been the management team for the
UK’s largest gap year organisation.
Gap 360 was launched in December 2011 and offers trips to meet the needs of their
travellers whether they are looking to go for just a couple of weeks or for much longer,
even up to two years. They offer different types of travel opportunities catering for people
who want to;
simply have fun on adventure holidays and tours,
do voluntary work with communities, wild life or in conservation areas
earn money doing casual work or teaching
learn new skills such as diving or foreign languages
travel round the world on a gap year.
Currently trips can be organised across more than 50 countries and this is increasing each
year.
The Market
The concept of the gap year where young people venture off on a period of travel between
key stages of their education, originated in the UK in the 1960s. The main demand for gap
year travel still comes from the UK with an estimated 200,000 young British people taking
a trip each year. However there are signs that it is catching on in other countries. For
example young people from Australia are able to obtain a permit that allows them to work
in the UK for up to 2 years which many of them take up and use the opportunity to travel
through Europe during breaks from working. There are also more travellers from Northern
Europe and Scandinavia, with young people in Germany particularly adopting the gap year
idea, and there is also evidence of interest in this concept starting to grow in the USA.
